The New York Jets, ready for an organizational reboot after the firing of their coach and general manager, are reaching into their past to help with the process.

Founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum in 2019, the 33rd team was brought in by the team to provide data analysis and experience in their search for the two positions, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday. The 33rd Team is a media and technology company, better known as a ‘football think tank’.

Tannenbaum and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman, who served as an advisor to the Washington Commanders’ GM and coaching searches last year, will lead the project for The 33rd Team.

The Jets, led by owner Woody Johnson, will oversee the search. Tannenbaum and Spielman will vet candidates and conduct reference checks, in addition to providing data on hiring trends. Simply put, they can be a sounding board throughout the process. It’s too early to say if they will participate in the actual interviews.

The Jets (3-8) were mired in their most disappointing season in recent memory and last week fired coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 and general manager Joe Douglas.

This will be the first time since 2015 that they are looking to fill the GM and head coach jobs in the same offseason. In 2015, they hired former general managers Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf as consultants, and eventually hired Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles as their general manager and coach, respectively.

The 33rd team has assisted in college coaching searches, but this will be the company’s first NFL search.

In hiring the 55-year-old Tannenbaum, who also works as an ESPN analyst, Johnson is leaning on someone he has known since 2000, when he bought the team.

Tannenbaum worked as the Jets’ cap specialist from 1997 to 2005 and rose to GM in 2006. Under Tannenbaum, the Jets made the playoffs three times, but he was fired by Johnson after the 2012 season.

As an executive for the Jets and Miami Dolphins (2015-18), Tannenbaum led three coaching searches, hiring Eric Mangini (2006) and Rex Ryan (2009) for the Jets and Adam Gase (2016) for the Dolphins. He also participated in the Jets’ search that netted Herm Edwards (2001). In both cases, the team made the playoffs in the first season under the new coach.

Tannenbaum’s link to Ryan will fuel speculation about a reunion, especially since Ryan has openly campaigned for the opening, but it’s premature to say Ryan will be a candidate. The Johnsons, Woody and brother Christopher will make the final decision.

The Jets’ last playoff appearance (2010) came with Ryan as coach; he was fired after the 2014 season. The playoff drought is about to reach 14 years, the NFL’s longest active slump.

Spielman, 61, was the Vikings’ general manager from 2012 to 2021 and reached the playoffs four times. He conducted just one coaching search during the period, hiring Mike Zimmer in 2014. Zimmer lasted eight seasons and made three playoff appearances.